Except that’s not how phones actually work in the “real” world. Adults have phones on them all the time (with very few exceptions). There aren’t “phone police” preemptively taking their phones from them during meetings. They need to learn self control, and forcing them not to have the phone available doesn’t teach that. I’m all for making them put their phone in a basket for a time period if they show they can’t control themselves, that teaches them, but it shouldn’t be the default.

And in the “real” world you can get fired for not doing your job or being on your phone too much. There are legit consequences that can applied without much pushback. In schools, you can’t just kick a kid out forever for fucking with their phone after multiple warnings and detentions. You can, however, confiscate the phone for the remainder of the class, or have them keep it in their locker to check during breaks, which is exactly what this bill is doing. To be honest, that’s what teachers were doing anyway in most schools so this is really just a formality.

Ok… That exactly what I said in the comment you replied to. You are just angrily agreeing with me now.

The only part that differs is that this bill preemptively takes the phone from them, even if they have a good history of using it responsibly. That’s the part I disagree with. Take the phone only when there is a history of abuse from a particular student, not all the time, every time.

Except that I’m arguing that it is the default. Most kids can’t handle not constantly being on it, sneaking, taking videos in class, etc. Their attention spans are very small. They are in a school, not a job, and I disagree that they should just have it on them in the first place. They earn that when they can go to college where they have 4 years to experiment, but before that their focus should be in the classroom.

You’re right there are not phone police doing that because adults are responsible. And where might these kids learn about that kind of responsibility?

Hmmmmmmmmmm….

They need to learn that class is a place to focus on learning, and phones interrupt that learning. You think it’s an opportunity to learn self discipline, but what about the kids that aren’t as capable of that? You just let them miss their education because you allowed them to play on their phone in class, hoping they’d learn phone discipline instead of the curriculum?

Science and English classes are for Science and English, not phone discipline. They can learn phone discipline at home, and having significant breaks from constant dopamine hits throughout the day will help them do that.

When I was a student in the pre-cell phone era, you couldn’t walk into class with a boom box or small tv, and expect to enjoy those in class, even with headphones. Phones are the modern equivalent.

Phones do not belong in the classroom.